Metamorphosis in Amy Tan’s Story, “Two Kinds”
Metamorphosis in Amy Tan’s Story, “Two Kinds”
The excerpt from “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan describes the conflict between a mother and her rebellious daughter. The psychological effect of the struggle between personal freedom and the persistence of her mother’s will is shown as the protagonist and narrator, Jing-mei, recollects her upbringing. The transformation of her personality, under these circumstances, remains present throughout her life. Amy Tan uses a variety of narrative techniques to show the contrast between the past and present, and the importance of the journey in-between. The last paragraph significance lies in the transition from the adolescences to adulthood of the protagonist.
In order to unify the past and the present, the narrators explains to the reader the determination of her mother’s will, to be used in contrast with her rebellion.“Of course you can be prodigy, too, my mother told me when I was nine.” Amy Tan's short story, "Two Kinds" begins with a brief introduction of her mother's interpretation of the American dream. The narrator, Jing-mei, had also at one point in time had a similar vision of the future. “In all of my imaginings, I was filled with a sense that I would soon become perfect.” As the story continues to unfold, she alters her plans for the future, not wanting the one her mother had planned. The youth of the narrator is characterized the struggle with her mother’s determination to raise a prodigy. While the conflict with her mother only lasted a short while, in retrospect, it felt as if the progression of time had come to a crawl. “Pleading Child, was shorter but slower.”
The result of Jing-mei’s conflict in her youth lingers with her, even though many years had since past. “A few years ago, she offered me the piano, for my thirtieth birthday.” While the whole excerpt is a memory of the past, this quote shifts the setting to a more recent time, as well as soothing the previous tense atmosphere. “Well, I probably can’t
The excerpt from “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan describes the conflict between a mother and her rebellious daughter. The psychological effect of the struggle between personal freedom and the persistence of her mother’s will is shown as the protagonist and narrator, Jing-mei, recollects her upbringing. The transformation of her personality, under these circumstances, remains present throughout her life. Amy Tan uses a variety of narrative techniques to show the contrast between the past and present, and the importance of the journey in-between. The last paragraph significance lies in the transition from the adolescences to adulthood of the protagonist.
In order to unify the past and the present, the narrators explains to the reader the determination of her mother’s will, to be used in contrast with her rebellion.“Of course you can be prodigy, too, my mother told me when I was nine.” Amy Tan's short story, "Two Kinds" begins with a brief introduction of her mother's interpretation of the American dream. The narrator, Jing-mei, had also at one point in time had a similar vision of the future. “In all of my imaginings, I was filled with a sense that I would soon become perfect.” As the story continues to unfold, she alters her plans for the future, not wanting the one her mother had planned. The youth of the narrator is characterized the struggle with her mother’s determination to raise a prodigy. While the conflict with her mother only lasted a short while, in retrospect, it felt as if the progression of time had come to a crawl. “Pleading Child, was shorter but slower.”
The result of Jing-mei’s conflict in her youth lingers with her, even though many years had since past. “A few years ago, she offered me the piano, for my thirtieth birthday.” While the whole excerpt is a memory of the past, this quote shifts the setting to a more recent time, as well as soothing the previous tense atmosphere. “Well, I probably can’t